


Curses Cured By Cyanide

by 11peach_bunny11



Category: Original Work
Genre: Aromantic Character, Asexual Character, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Casino Heist, Curses, F/F, Feral x feral representation, Gods walk among men, Heist, Historical Fantasy, Hurt/Comfort, Icarus just wants to be a hermit, Lesbian Character, Let castor rest 2020, Magic, Not Beta Read, Old Gods, Phephe and Desee are v much in love, Smuggling, Useless Lesbians, he's a good boi I swear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:22:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24773080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/11peach_bunny11/pseuds/11peach_bunny11
Summary: Two lady thieves who would give each other the world if they could.A smuggler with an eye for magic.A sharpshooter with nothing left to lose, and everything to gain.A criminal mastermind with a bone to pick.And a golden apple, ripe with the promise of a lifted curse with only a bite.Five people, four curses, one heist.When Gods walk among men, anything is possible.
Relationships: Eurydice/Orpheus





	1. Eurydice

“Darling, I think you’ve stolen something from me.” Eurydice heard Orpheus murmur playfully from behind her. Looking at the reflection in the glass door before her, Eurydice watched as Orpheus leaned casually onto the balcony guardrail instead of hopping over to the side one was actually supposed to be on. The brilliant moon that forever hung in the sky above them beamed down and around her, casting her in an ethereal glow. Eurydice’s breath caught in her chest, heart racing for just a moment before she calmed herself. 

Shaking her head slightly, she couldn’t stop the small smile that appeared on her face as she spun on her heels to face her lover. The rope the two had used to climb up to the east facing balcony was slowly being coiled in Orpheus’s hands, one end still tied to the railing, but Orpheus’s eyes were locked onto Eurydice’s.

“Oh? And what would that be?” She replied easily, hand trailing up to play with a stray piece of hair that had gotten loose from her ponytail as her eyes raked over the other's form. For tonight's little escapade, Orpheus had chosen loose black breaches tucked into dark brown boots, along with a simple black blouse and black leather gloves that matched Eurydice’s own dark grey versions. Her long dark hair was drawn up into a bun, nice and out of the way, and her vibrant blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight like sapphires. 

Orpheus smirked back at her, dropping the coiled part of the rope onto the right side of the balcony before jumping over herself. In the blink of an eye, she was beside Eurydice, pulling her by the waist to bring her closer. 

“Why? My heart, of course,” she stated simply, eyes twinkling with mirth as she gazed down affectionately at the woman in her arms. Eurydice let out a loud laugh before slapping a hand over her mouth. She glared playfully at Orpheus before pushing her away.

“Phephe, stop all this flirting. We’re on a job,” Eurydice scolded, her cheeks easily becoming dusted with a light shade of peach. Orpheus--or Phephe as Eurydice liked to call her--backed up just a half step with hands in the air, the smirk never leaving her face. 

“Sorry Desee, your blush is just too adorable,” she said with a shrug. 

Desee rolled her eyes, willing with all her might to be rid of her smile, though it still wouldn’t leave her face. She turned away from Phephe, pushing through the glass doors and into the Viscount’s study. 

The two paused in the balcony entrance, taking a moment to scan the room that lay before them. Their shadows stretched eerily across the mahogany floor, the moonlight behind them the only source of light. To their right, the Viscount’s large white ornate desk sat, paperwork scattered about its surface. The bookshelf that took up most of the wall behind it was packed with books, though both could tell none of them had been touched in years. Across the way to the left, there seemed to be a small meeting space. Two white couches faced each other with a dark wooden coffee table between them. The right wall was adorned with old paintings, the largest being that of the current Viscount himself. 

Both of the thieves' eyes drifted over all of this, none too interested, before Phephe and Desee strolled over to the giant painting hiding the Viscount’s safe like they owned the place. 

“What a greasy man he is, hiding his safe behind a picture of himself,” Phephe said as she scrunched up her nose and crossed her arms before her chest. 

“Yes, I remember quite well,” Desee replied in an annoyed tone, flashing back to the night of the party. Desee had been the one to keep the Viscount company as the distraction while Phephe scouted the mansion, sniffing out their prize. The man had been all over her, eyes lewdly scanning her while his hands groped where they were not wanted. 

‘Well, unbeknownst to him, I wasn’t free and I’ve come to collect my due payment,’ Desee thought spitfully. She thought of all the nasty things she’d like to do to the Viscount. ‘I’d cut off his hands and feed them to his dogs if I could--pluck his eyes from his head and use them as marbles if only. If it was as easy to hide as thievery I’d--’ Desee was cut from her thoughts as she caught Phephe gazing at her from the corner of her eye. 

She turned to face the other, eyebrows raised in question, and watched as guilt flashed across Phephe’s face. Before Desee could ask, Phephe reached out, grabbing her rough hand in hers. She paused for a moment, eyes trained on the hand in hers before rubbing her thumb over Desee’s knuckles, eyebrows pinched. Desee watched this in silence as Phephe turned her gaze upwards. She smiled slightly, giving a quick press of her lips to Desee’s knuckles. 

“I’m sorry, Darling, that I let that man touch you like that. I’d give you the world as an apology if I could,” she said quietly. Desee lips twitched upward as she closed her eyes for a moment. Taking in a deep breath, Desee took a pause to savor this moment, before looking back to Phephe with mischief now twinkling amongst her honey brown eyes.

She hummed happily. “The whole world? Now that’s quite the gift” she said as she turned back to the painting. She reached over and removed it from the wall, revealing the cheap safe hidden behind it. “Instead of the world, though, I’d love it instead if you could do the dishes when we get back home,” Desee continued with a grin as she grabbed the crowbar strapped to her thigh, pressing it into the seam between the safe door and the wall. 

“What?” Phephe bemoaned instantly beside her, regret clear in her voice and on her face as she slumped forward.

Desee’s grin wided, and with a good push, she easily popped the door.

Phephe leaned closer from her slouched position, placing her hands on Desee’s shoulder. “Mm, Desee you’re so strong,” Phephe whispered. A shudder ran down her back before she turned to the other with a glare. Phephe only smiled sheepishly back, though the look in her eye told Desee she didn’t regret a thing.

“Sorry, sorry. I just can’t help myself when I’m around you.” 

Desee almost moved to smack the woman upside the head, but the promise of riches being so close by managed to stop her. She turned back to the safe, pushing it the rest of the way open to reveal the hidden treasure inside… and an envelope. 

“Oh? And what’s this?” Phephe asked, amusement lacing her voice as she reached out to grab the envelope that sat daintily atop the riches. The front had both of their names written in a lovely cursive font and it was sealed with red wax. With a quick swipe of her finger, Phephe broke the seal and pulled out the letter from within. Desee peered over her shoulder, reading the letter as well.

Dear Miss and Miss Red,  
I am currently in the market for two excellent and cunning thieves for an upcoming job I am planning. If you two are up for a bit of mayhem, and your reputation precedes you, please come to the address listed below on this upcoming Tuesday at 7pm.  
134 Eastern Ave.  
I hope to see you two there. I do believe it will be worth your wild.  
Best of luck,  
P

Desee hummed, a grin stretching across her face. “Now, how did someone get into this safe before us?” She asked, turning to look at Phephe. Phephe glanced at her before turning her attention back to the letter, flipping it in her hands to see if anything was hidden on the back. Desee was disappointed to find it was indeed blank. 

“I don’t know, Darling. I’d definitely like to meet the person though,” she said, interest clear in her voice. The two locked eyes, twin grins spreading across their faces.

“Well, before that,” Desee said, turning to look at the rest of the treasures that lay before them. “Let’s finish up this--”

A scream interrupted her, coming from the door that led into the office. 

Desee and Phephe burst into action. Swinging the bag off of her shoulder, Phephe popped it open while Desee scooped all of their new prize money into it. She was about to grab for the little jewels that had escaped her sweep out of habit, when Phephe grabbed hold of her wrist.

“No time, let’s go,” she said, pulling Desee out to the balcony as she swung the bag strap back over her shoulder. 

Just as they reached the rope, two guards burst into the room, the maid that had screamed cowering behind them.

“Hey!” One of them yelled, pointing to the two lady thieves. Phephe moved the hand grabbing Desee’s wrist to her waist, pulling her close as she jumped over the side of the balcony. Desee couldn’t help but give a little wave to the shocked guards, watching as their faces quickly turned to anger. 

Swinging down the rope, the two landed gracefully in the grass below. Wasting no time, they broke into a sprint, dashing madly across the back lawn. Not a second later, guards appeared behind them, giving chase. Desee couldn’t help the excited laughter that escaped her. No job was without a good chase.

The two only had to run for a moment’s notice before the wall that surrounded the Viscount’s property came up before them. Speeding even more, both Desee and Phephe easily vaulted over the blockage--and in doing so lost some of the guards. Now only a few gave chase behind them. The two locked eyes and grinned, both knowing they could easily outpace them. 

The thieves dashed down the sidewalk, lamplight warmly illuminating their path as they gave the guards a run for their money. They twisted and turned, leading the men behind them deeper and deeper into the heart of Solomon’s City. 

They were clearly ahead of the men, and in a few quick turns would have lost them with ease, when suddenly Desee felt Phephe snatch her by the wrist, pulling her into a tight alleyway. Phephe and Desee stood chest to chest, as still as statues, as the guards turned the corner and ran straight past them. As the sound of boots disappeared, Desee looked to Phephe with raised eyebrows, lips quirking upwards. Desee could easily see the joy lighting up the other’s eyes. 

“What is this about? We were about to lose them,” Desee asked, placing her hands on Phephe’s waist. 

“Well, you see Darling,” Phephe began dramatically, as if she were imparting the universe's secrets to Desee, “I always wish to be close to you, and this little alleyway looked like the perfect place to trap you next to me,” Phephe said with merriment, using her height advantage to suddenly box Desee in. 

“You’re ridiculous,” she said with a smile.

“But you love me so,” Phephe replied instantly. Desee hummed at that, eyes never leaving the other’s as she quickly reached up and pinched Phephe’s underarms, causing the woman to drop them with a yelp. However, before Phephe could complain, Desee gave her a light kiss.

“Let’s head home,” she said quietly. Phephe looked down at her for a moment before nodding.

“Yes, lets.” 

With hands intertwined, the two began their treak back to their small apartment in the lower west end of Solomon’s City--not the worst place to be staying, but certainly not the best. They walked for a few blocks, hands swinging between them, and entered into a less wealthy area close to the Viscount’s mansion. Finding a hotel, they quickly managed to hail a cab--the late time meaning nothing for such a well traveled area. 

“Ninth street, please,” Phephe said, wrapping her arm around Desee’s frame as she rested her head on Phephe’s shoulder. The cab driver nodded, lighty snapping the reins of the two black horses that led his carriage. 

Desee kept her eyes on the sky for all of the ride, watching the moon shine down between the city buildings. She never got tired of looking at the moon, finding its constant presence almost soothing--like a guardian angel… or perhaps a witness to all that she’d done. At the very least, a silent companion. 

In a short thirty minutes, they arrived at ninth street. Phephe generously paid the driver, an obvious bribe to keep quiet about who he’d just driven. The two hadn’t missed the way he’d looked them over, taking in their dark clothing and heavy bag. 

He smiled sharply, showing off a golden tooth, and tucked the money into his coat pocket before nodding his head slightly. They watched him drive off, and when he was no longer in their field of vision, the two began walking back down the way they’d just come until they reached seventh street. They turned onto Maple then, and in five simple steps arrived at the front of their apartment.

Instead of entering through the front, the two swung around to the back of the building. They slowly climbed up the rickety old fire escape to the fourth floor and climbed in through the window they’d kept open when they’d left only a few hours ago. The coldness from outside had thoroughly invaded the space, and Phephe made quick work of dropping the bag of goods on the dining table and starting a fire for the two. Desee disappeared deeper into the apartment, reappearing a moment later with blankets.

“Perfect,” Phephe murmured, collapsing onto the couch before the fire. Desee joined her, wrapping the two in the fleece blankets. The two warmed themselves as they allowed the adrenaline rush of a job well done to pass through them, watching the fire flicker and dance in a peaceful silence.

Desee had just begun to nod off, when she suddenly remembered. “Phephe,” she whispered, poking the woman in the side. Phephe hummed back inquisitively. “Did you grab the letter? The one in the safe addressed to us?” She couldn’t recall seeing Phephe place it in the bag, and a nervous energy suddenly filled her stomach.

“Yes, Darling. I made sure to slip it in the bag,” she replied, scooting closer to Desee as she did. 

“Oh good,” she sighed in relief, watching as Phephe laid her head on her shoulder. She sat in silence, listening to the sounds of the fire and Phephe’s breathing before continuing.

“What do you think of the letter?”

“I think it’s very interesting.”

“Do you think we should go?”

“Yes, it looks fun.”

Desee smiled at that. She couldn’t help but agree. Her curiosity had been piqued, and she now desperately wanted to meet this fellow who’d gotten into the safe before them--and had left no evidence at that! Her smile wilted at the edges slightly.

“Phephe do you know of any ‘P’s’ in the area?” 

Phephe shifted at that, and Desee looked over to see she had her face scrunched, seeming to try and recall.

“Perhaps. Though I’d heard she’d left the city not too long ago,” she replied after a minute.

“Well, I guess we’ll see when we meet them on Tuesday,” Desee hummed, before a grin spread across her face, “Oh, what do you think we should wear, Phephe dear? I think it would be rather splendid if we arrived in the highest of fashion,” she said with a laugh.

Phephe chuckled beside her, snuggling deeper into the blankets. “I like how you think, Darling.”


	2. Icarus

“So… what do you think?” The man asked, nervously twisting his hands together as his eyes shifted about the shop. 

Icarus looked up from the wooden box in his hands to the man standing behind the counter, taking a moment to really look at the person before him. 

The man’s brown hair was tousled and greasy. His cheeks sunken in, making his bright green eye seem to glow from within his face like God’s Fire, and his body seemed to be swallowed by the large dark cloak he wore. His hands, the only other part of his body that Icarus could currently see, were bony and one could clearly see where the skin had split from being so dry. 

His eyes flicked back to the box, a scowl already beginning to form on his face.

‘Just how long does this guy think I’ve been in this business?’ Icarus couldn’t help but think with a roll of his eyes as the man began to shift from foot to foot, obviously nervous as the silence continued to stretch between them. Icarus sighed, propping his head up on one hand as his other dropped the box onto the counter. He watched as the man’s eyes widened in shock, not expecting such an act from the well dressed appraiser.

“That’s a magical box right there!” He squealed in terror, hands quickly grabbing the ornate wooden box. The man checked it over, turning it this way and that, eyes scanning for any damages the drop may have caused.

Icarus sighed in exhaustion again. ‘These people never cease to wear on me.’ 

“No, it’s not,” he said with annoyance. The man froze, box held above his head, before he turned to Icarus in unnecessary fury, his eyes ablaze.

“Wh-wh-what do you mean it’s not magical! Here! Here!” He said, pushing the box into Icarus’s face. “Look here, this is clearly a magical mark!” He yelled, tapping the small carving in the left corner of the box’s lid with a bloody finger. Icarus’s nose scrunched in disgust.

In order for an object to be considered magical, the object must have the mark of a God somewhere on it, and indeed to the intermediate eye the mark the man was so aggressively pointing to did seem to be such a mark. It looked like the mark of Menok, the Goddess of hidden items, and one could easily assume the box, if it were indeed magical, was meant to hide things. However, Icarus could see that the lines were off, and an unnecessary circle had been added. 

Menok was one of his favorite Goddesses, and he’d come to know her mark by heart--he even had a few items of her’s within his store. Hidden, of course. 

Icarus flicked his eyes between the fake mark and the man, anger making its home in his chest as the man continued to waste his time. “I’m sorry, sir,” Icarus bit out, “But that is a fake mark, and thus a fake magical item, and thus worthless to me. I can’t help you. Goodbye,” he said as he stood from his chair. Panic flashed across the man’s face, the box trembling in his hand. 

“Wait! Wait,” he yelled, desperately grabbing for Icarus’s arm. He dodged gracefully, shooting the man a glare. 

“Sir, if you have no other business here, please leave,” Icarus said with a huff. The man looked between him and the box, anger filling his very being. 

“How rude!” He raged, “This is clearly a magical item!”

“Oh?” Icarus raged back with a raise of his eyebrows. “Then show me! Show me how it works.” 

The man flinched backwards. He froze for a moment, before snatching the box and rushing out the store door. Icarus watched him through the windows as the man dashed down the street. ‘Probably to another antique store,’ Icarus thought with a huff, before collapsing back into his seat behind the counter. 

He’d only gotten a moment of rest before the bell above his door chimed again, signaling another customer. Drifting his eyes up, he watched as a young boy in a green cap walked into the store. The boy held something in his hands, and Icarus could feel annoyance rear its head once again. 

‘Children,’ he couldn’t help but think with disgust. The boy looked around the shop, eyes wide, before he finally noticed Icarus. He slowly made his way over, wearily watching him before placing what was in his hands onto the counter.

Icarus almost burst into laughter. 

Now sitting between him and the boy was a wooden bear. 

“What is this?” He asked, eyes flicking between the boy and the toy. The child shrunk at his tone, but taking in a deep breath he replied.

“Can you solve this… Mister?” 

Icarus scrunched his nose. “What?”

“Can you solve this puzzle… Mister?” The boy repeated. 

“What puzzle?”

“The… the bear,” he whispered. Icarus looked over the boy once more before turning his attention to the wooden bear.

“A puzzle…?”

He picked up the toy, turning it to and fro in his hands. His eyes widened as he took in the mark and the bottom… before a grin spread across his face.

“Oh, I see,” he said happily, before delving in. 

The wooden object looked to be a bear standing on its hind legs, arms by its sides. Icarus tried to move them, seeing if they were perhaps the lever to some mechanic, but they were firmly attached. He twisted and turned it, looking at the seams that ran along the sides of its main body. “Perhaps the front part reveals a box in the main body…” he murmured to himself, tracing the seams with his finger.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted him. “This… this also came…” The boy said, sliding a flat piece of wood onto the counter. It looked like a honey pot. Icarus picked it up, holding it up above him to investigate. It seemed like a simple wooden bit, but with puzzles like this, anything could be a clue. He ran it around the bear, noticing it stuck to the paw and its chest. 

Icarus hummed. “Alright then…” 

He ran the piece around the bear a few more times, but it only stuck to those two places. Leaving the honey pot where it was attached to the front of the bear, Icarus pushed and pulled at all the seams, trying to see if one came loose… there! The front seams began to wiggle a bit, indicating that the front part of the bear came off, but it was still stuck. Icarus hummed again, heart racing a bit.

Icarus always loved a good puzzle. 

He flipped the bear onto its front, investigating the back. There seemed to be no seams. Icarus ran his fingertips along the back when it suddenly moved! “Ah ha!” He cried triumphantly. The back did actually have a seam, running horizontal through its middle. He flipped the bear back onto its front, revealing that the box on its front had come loose and could now be easily pulled out. 

He grinned, pulling the box out then placing the empty bear on the counter. He reached his fingertips inside, grabbing hold of whatever had been placed within the box. The boy’s eyes widened as Icarus pulled out an envelope that was far too big to be housed within such a small toy. 

“Mister! Mister! How’d you do that!” He cried in wonder. Icarus placed the box and envelope down, reaching for the bear. Flipping it on its head, he pointed to the little mark on the bottom of the bear’s feet.

“That’s the mark of Monok. When she blesses an item, she lets you hide things you normally wouldn’t be able to,” he explained happily, “and she has a penchant for blessing puzzle boxes.” The boy eagerly grabbed the bear, twisting it this way and that, seeming to try and discover the secret. 

With him thoroughly distracted, Icarus brought his attention to the envelope. On the front, his name was written in fancy cursive font and it had been sealed with red wax. Pulling out a letter opener, Icarus slashed through the top and pulled out the paper from within.

Dear Mr. Lane,  
I am in need of a magical expert for an upcoming job I am planning. The item in question, which I shall not name here, will most definitely be worth your wild as it could assist in a little problem of yours--one dealing with a Mr. Eleos Ridge. If interested please come to the address listed below on this upcoming Tuesday at 7pm  
134 Eastern Ave.  
I expect to see you there.   
Best wishes,  
P

Icarus felt the world slow, his breath catching in his chest as the hand holding onto the paper tightened, crinkling the clean white sheet. Icarus read it again. And again. And again. And yet he still could not believe his eyes. 

He turned to the boy. “Who gave you that bear?” He tried not to yell.

‘Who? Who? Who? Who knows? How? Why? Why now of all the times,’ Icarus thought, his blood pounding in his veins so loud he could hear it.

The boy looked back, tilting his head to the side.

“A pretty lady did. She told me to come in here and give you the bear. She gave me a chocolate!” He said, digging into his coat pocket, but before he could show off his treat Icarus turned away, his eyes drawn back to… that name. 

“Keep the bear,” he said in a clipped tone, slipping out of his chair. 

“Really!” The boy called after him in excitement, and Icarus could hear the boy fiddle with the wooden box, though he did not turn to see.

“Yes. I do not want it anymore,” he replied, sweeping into the back area of the store. 

A desk sat to his left while shelving units covered the three walls around him, all filled to the brim with boxes soon to be shipped out. Some held illegal magic items that would soon find a place in some rich aristocrat’s home while others held things that just needed to be rid of. 

To the normal eye, Icarus’s shop seemed to be like any other old antique appraisal. Ancient nicknacks filled the window space for potential shoppers to see, and old furniture filled the floor, just waiting to be bought and taken to their second home, and while not necessarily a front, that was not all that Icarus dealt with. 

To those with a finger on the pulse of Solomon’s City’s underbelly ‘Icarus’s Appraisals’ had a much more necessary service. Need a stolen magical or non magical item appraised and/or transported? Need help finding buyers for something you’re not supposed to have? Want to get something off your hands but can’t do so through legal means? Icarus was your man.

He’d dealt with a lot in his years serving the underground. He'd been threatened, roughed up--almost killed a couple of times...

Icarus paused in the middle of the room, head bowed as he stared down at the letter once more, eye’s solely focused on that name. 

Eleos.

Icarus never thought…

He never dreamed… 

That he’d have the chance to see him again. 

He did not feel the tears welling up in his eyes, but he saw them fall and stain the paper, causing the ink to run. That was fine, he’d already memorized the letter--every word seeming to have burned themselves into his mind. He gave himself but just a moment, before aggressively wiping the water away from his face. 

He chuckled darkly. “Well, now. Normally I don’t make house calls, but I’ll have to make an exception here.”

Throwing the letter onto the back work table, he returned to the front, walking out past the counter he normally hid behind and out onto the floor. He flipped the open sign, then looked around for the boy so he could shoo him out. He was happy to find the boy gone, the bear taken with him. 

Walking briskly back into his work space, Icarus took in a deep breath. He did not know how long this would take--it could be just a few days or months, and the letter had given him far too few clues. He smiled ruefully to himself. 

“Time to get things in order.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Icarus with all my heart an soul but gosh darn it is he a hard character to write. I always struggle with him :( hopefully his character came across how I wanted in this chapter

**Author's Note:**

> This is a personal passion project I'm working on. I hope you enjoy!!


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